NATO Secretary General Wants Certainty To Immediately Guarantee Europe's Security For Ukraine

JAKARTA - NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte expects clarity at a summit of Ukrainian allies on Thursday or soon after regarding security guarantees that Europe can offer Kyiv after the Russian war in Ukraine ends.

"I hope that tomorrow, or soon after, there will be clarity on what we can provide collectively," Rutte told a news conference with Estonian President Alar Karis at NATO headquarters in Brussels.

"That means we can engage even more intensely, also with the Americans, to see what they want to provide regarding their participation in security guarantees," he continued.

French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will co-host a virtual meeting of coalition leaders consisting mostly of European allies who have sought security guarantees for Ukraine on Thursday, September 4.

The guarantee is intended to prevent Russia from attacking Ukraine again after the war ends, either through a ceasefire or a permanent peace agreement.

Western officials say the most important element of the guarantee is continued strong support for the Ukrainian armed forces.

But the measures are also expected to include international troops to calm Kyiv.

European leaders have insisted such powers will only allow with US support.

US President Donald Trump promised this last month, but Washington has yet to explain what contributions they are willing to make.

In the press conference, Rutte sought to reassure members of East Europe's NATO, any resources allocated to guarantee security for Ukraine would not undermine the defense of the Western military alliance against Russia on its east side.

"We have to prevent the spread of our resources too thin, and this means we must always consider its impact on NATO's (restriction) plans," he said.